Another Day
by Tally-Ally
Summary: He shook his head. Letting his thoughts drift to the possibilities of who Merlin was wasn't something he liked to do. After all, an accusation like that is deadly here in Camelot. It was a fate he wouldn't wish on anyone, let alone one of his friends.


It really annoys me how dense Arthur is made to be in the series. So here's some ramblings that try to make up for it.

I don't own Merlin, of course.

"Courage, Magic, and Strength. Heed the warning, young prince, for darker days will plague your days soon. All must stand together, or one will be lost, and the others shall fall. Heed the warning, Arthur Pendragon, for it will not come again."

Arthur woke up, the words from his dream still echoing in his mind. Courage, magic, and strength. He had often thought back to what the guardian of the bridge had told him, trying to connect the dots. There were three of them there, and he had been courage. Wouldn't it dictate that Gawain and Merlin were the other two? And the bracelet... He had it on him when he lost consciousness, he was sure. Yet when he woke up, it was gone. The guardian had laughed when he mentioned it was a gift for luck. And how had Merlin stopped the beasts all on his own, anyway?

It wasn't the first time Arthur's thoughts drifted to his servant. Their second meeting alone was not one to be forgotten. It seemed like the entire barn was against him.

He shook his head. Letting his thoughts drift to the possibilities of who Merlin was wasn't something he liked to do. After all, an accusation like that is deadly here in Camelot. It was a fate he wouldn't wish on anyone, let alone one of his friends. And Merlin was that, his friend. Rank be damned, that boy had stood by him with loyalty he wished half the royals possessed.

No, he wouldn't let his thoughts curse Merlin's life. He could be wrong. Merlin could've just been lucky. Maybe he possessed the kind of luck people only dreamed about.

But that dragon… The wound Arthur had tried to deliver, it wouldn't have been lethal. If it was, the body would've remained where it was. Yet it had gone, and never plagued Camelot again. Merlin's simple explanation… He had been stupid to accept it at the time, but what else could he do? To call him out, to question him, would be to question the trust he had for Merlin.

And Arthur did trust Merlin, after all. He would lay his life down for his friend, no matter how silly the gesture would look to the outside world.

If Merlin was hiding something, Arthur knew it was for good reason. Yet, if it was what Arthur suspected, he couldn't imagine how tough the life of his servant was. To hide who you are, no one should be forced to do that. To lie to those around you, and never be able to talk about who you are with anyone…

But what could Arthur do. Walk up to Merlin, throw a casual, "is my armor shined? Feel free to use magic to complete your chores, by the way, just be careful, just make sure no one sees it?" That would surely go over well. What if Merlin doesn't want the truth known? What if at the news of Arthur's knowledge, he will run for his life, an action justified by all that he had witnessed during his stay in Camelot.

After all, even Arthur himself had voiced his distaste for magic multiple times. Why would Merlin tell him anything? The poor lad probably thinks that Arthur would have him executed for such a thing.

Arthur frowned. No, he definitely wouldn't execute his friend. Merlin had done way too much good for it to be forgotten so easily. No, his father could never know of the thoughts in Arthur's head right now. It would be way too dangerous, for Uther was blinded by hatred to remain rational.

But… Were his views really that different? He had grown up being told that magic was awful, and often had to ward off its creations. But the hatred seemed wrong to Arthur. After all, no one should be punished for the misdeeds of others, and he was sure that magic had to have a good side to it. Nothing is only bad. Like lords who care more about their own wealth, then of the people surrounding them. No, magic was much like a sword: the wielder would decide how it is used.

Hearing a knock and a familiar voice at the door, Arthur put his thoughts aside.

_Another day. Surely it can wait another day._


End file.
